


Fall

by Ceciliavonjoy



Series: Sonic Adventure 2 One Shots [3]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Canon Death, Death, Gen, Sonic Adventure 2, as far as I'm aware, as in the death itself is canon hjkhjkhk, sa2, until Sonic Heroes that is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-14
Updated: 2020-04-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:01:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 957
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23641282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ceciliavonjoy/pseuds/Ceciliavonjoy
Summary: The end of the game. You all know what's coming.
Series: Sonic Adventure 2 One Shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/980379
Kudos: 20





	Fall

The Space Colony ARK flashed into place, an immense feat of chaos control. The world beneath was safe from it. The two golden hedgehogs responsible drifted away from the colony, even them staggered.

Sonic, who could be mistaken for a star at a distance, part of the space he floated in, recovered quickly. He knew this form and how to use it by now. It would run out in a few minutes. To him, who took five seconds to process and accept that he had just saved the world, that was ample time. Nothing to worry about.

But he  _ was _ worried for Shadow. Even for someone calling himself the ultimate, the transformation was a lot to handle. The chaos energy coursing through you feels limitless, but channel too much and you burn yourself out in seconds. Too little, and the emeralds slip away from you along with the super form’s power. Panicking and swinging between the two trying to control it...exhausting, and painful. It had taken Sonic himself years of practice to work out the right balance.

Sonic glanced around, spinning in place. It wasn’t enough to look left and right in space, you had to look up and down and all around too. Where is he...?

There. A little ways away, a few meters lower than he was, Shadow was leaning over catching his breath. He glowed a champagne yellow, paler than Sonic’s gold. 

“Hey, Shadow!” Sonic tried to pump his legs, before remembering he was flying instead of running. He floated closer, and could see a sheen of sweat on Shadow’s fur. “You alright?”

Shadow didn’t speak, still out of breath, but he nodded.

“You sure? You look tired… It’s okay, though,” Sonic smiled. “We did it. You can rest back in the colony.”

Sonic spun around and flew for the ARK, golden sparks trailing behind him. 

He glanced aside, and saw no one. Sonic stopped, and turned around in midair. Shadow hadn’t followed him. He was in the same place, staring down at the Earth.

“Shadow?” 

He didn’t even twitch. Sonic raised his cupped hands as a megaphone. “Hey! Aren’t you coming back?”

“...We’ve really done it.”

He sounded tired. 

Sonic floated in his direction, ending up at Shadow’s side. This spot was just close enough to feel the planet’s pull. Was he staying here to bask in their victory? “Yeah,” Sonic said. “We sure did.” 

He looked down at the Earth too. Clouds swirled over green grass, grey and white mountain ranges, and oceans of deep blue. Hard to believe so many people were down there. “The world’s beautiful from up here.”

“It is.” Shadow said. His head bobbed in another slow nod. He spoke slowly, and didn’t turn around. “She wanted to see this world…and the people who live there. Thanks to you, they’re safe.”

She? Eh, he'd probably heard him wrong. “Oh, well...” Sonic waved the thanks away modestly; not a huge deal. He does this all the time. Still, hey, that’s the nicest thing Shadow’s said to him this whole adventure. Definitely a step up from calling him a fake. “Thanks to  _ us _ , you mean,” Sonic said. “You helped too.”

Shadow shrugged. "Hm."

“But really, come on back,” Sonic said. He turned and hovered away back towards the colony, expecting Shadow to follow this time. “I think we’re both worn out.”

More silence behind him. Sonic sighed and turned himself back around again. What is his deal? “Shadow—”

The pale golden glow around Shadow went black, and he fell.

Sonic cried out and shot towards the falling hedgehog, a golden missile. He lunged for his hand, and caught Shadow’s wrist by the ring.

His glowing fingers clung around the gold, and pulled up. “I’ve got you!”

Shadow made no effort to take his hand. He looked up at Sonic, calm. “It’s okay.” His voice was oddly serene. “I accomplished what I meant to.”

“Wh...What?” Sonic paused, straining. His own super form flickered, starting to run out. No, not now!

Shadow spoke again, still calm. “The world doesn’t need the one who tried to destroy it.”

“No! C’mon!” Another yank, struggling to pull them both against gravity. The world was pulling harder than he could with his fading strength. “I don’t care! Let me help you!”

Shadow didn’t answer.

The ring’s hinge snapped. Shadow’s limp hand fell through it along with the rest of him, leaving a broken inhibitor ring in Sonic’s hand.

Sonic gasped and dove again, other hand outstretched. He just barely brushed Shadow’s falling fingertips.

Shadow stared past him, his voice far away. “Maria…?”

Sonic went to try again but heat shot up around Shadow’s black silhouette. Earth’s atmosphere, burning him. Trying to burn them both, for being too close.

Sonic tried to push forwards but a burst of flame forced him back. He had to shield his face from the heat and death. 

When he could open his eyes again he quickly looked around for him, any sign of Shadow at all.

All he could see was the earth.

No. Sonic shook his head, not wanting to believe his eyes. No, no no no— He glanced around, everywhere, hoping and trying to catch a glimpse of something he’d missed.

Faraway stars in blackness, the blue planet below, and nothing else.

Shadow’s…gone.

Sonic swallowed a lump in his throat. If only he’d held on! If he’d just gotten a better grip, been a little bit faster, he could have saved him!

The peaceful look on Shadow’s face on his way down…

His own super form had seconds left. Sparkling drops drifted from his eyes into space as Sonic flew back into the colony, the last trace of a dead hero gripped in his hand.


End file.
